Blue Just Right

February 11, 2014

Well it’s time I finished off the Color Series that I began last year spotlighting various hues and I thought I’d save the “best” for last :) As you know I’m a passionate lover of all shades of blue, I find it hard to not use this color when planning a project or room design.

Blue is universally pleasing and possesses calming properties. In paler hues blue is serene, in deeper tones, dramatic and powerful. The spotlight today is on some favorite blue spaces from light to dark.

better homes & gardens

These bedrooms are tranquil when layered with pale blues. Touches of gold and modern furnishings keep the look luxurious and sophisticated.

How much classic style can you squeeze into one bathroom? Here’s the perfect example: beadboard wainscoting, check. Hexagon floor tile, check. White pedestal sink, check. Statement wallpaper, bring it! This bathroom at House Beautiful is a similar example of the same timeless look.

Layered textiles in a monochromatic palette allow for mixing motifs in small and large repeats. Here are two favorite examples of living rooms combining a neutral sofa paired with patterned window panels and a variety of toss pillows in shades of blue.

I get a little breathless just looking at this hallway by Lilly Bunn, it’s those glossy peacock blue walls in combination with the gold ceiling, Greek key inspired mirror, and the urchin light fixture. Dramatic and dreamy!

lilly bunn interiors

Blue painted millwork, built ins, and walls blend seamlessly together in this sophisticated Manhattan study.

Pottery Barn’s partnership with Sherwin Williams led to Naval blue as the backdrop to this well curated wall gallery, it’s navy blue perfection wouldn’t you agree?

pottery barn

The built ins and crown molding in this home library are painted a bold Newbury Port blue by Benjamin Moore and the walls are covered in grasscloth wallpaper. The combination is both dramatic and inviting.?

What a beautiful showcase of pictures! Blue is my favorite color too. I have some of it in different shades in every room of my house. I tried really hard to not use it in my living room just so I would have one room without it but to no avail. I just can’t help myself!:-). Funny you should mention wanting to own a bold blue velvet chair someday. I will be spotlighting one on Thursday on a post about nice looking chairs for $250 and under. Come check it out then at http://www.providenthome design.com.

The Pottery Barn image was my inspiration for my reading/dining room. Of course, when I got a sample pot of the color, it looked much more country blue. I ended up (after over a dozen samples) with Valspar’s Cobalt Cannon, and I LOVE it.

Love these images! Blue is also my favorite color, for decorating and everything else! I especially love the study with the blue built-ins and the pops of orange. I’ve seen rooms with these colors before and they inspired the color palette for my upcoming wedding!

Stunning choices! Thank you for pulling this whole series together and especially for the blue compilation. I really appreciate that you didn’t use only upscale rooms, but included a wide variety of styles and budgets. Although it is tough to pick just one image, I think my favorite is the dining room with the blue Windsor chairs. Thanks again.

You did a great job through the whole series, Kate. Well done. Though, I love green more I’m falling for blues too. Loved the blue and pink cushions in the living room and those Turkish plates on the wall are stunning. Thanks for sharing.

LOVE this! I tend more towards the blue green shades, but all the blues you’ve depicted are really great. I am planning to repaint my bedroom to match some new bedding which is gray and silver with touches of a teal type of shade. That hemlock color might work for my walls. I will look into it. Thanks!!

Although I went through a long phase of Southwestern aqua and coraI years ago, I’ve found my true self with greens, particularly yellowy greens. However, an antique blue secretary which wasn’t going to be “greened” by me (ha ha) found itself embraced when I came upon an inspiration pic (in fact the second pic with pup on bed in your post on quilts from a few days ago). My other color is more of an orangey red rather than the lighter color in the inspiration pic which might actually be a camel/tan, but no matter – I love the room I’ve put together so much that I’m seriously thinking of painting the very white walls a pale aqua blue similar to that in the inspiration pic. I do, however, enjoy the serenity of the pale blue rooms and the sophistication of some of the dark blue/navy rooms and I enjoyed this post.

You made my pulse quicken with this beautifully curated display of blue! I love that blue can be so calming in one shade or so dynamic in another! I have a blue dining room, master bedroom, child’s room, laundry room, garage nook, and there isn’t a day I don’t love it. :) Thank you for taking the time to put the Color Series together. I’ve really enjoyed it!

What beautiful examples you have shown us. I love blue – especially the grey blue that seems to be so popular now. My bedroom is in shades of blue/grey and linen and my bathroom is Smoky Green from Benjamin Moore which looks like blue on the wall. Shades of blue are so peaceful and calm. I am using them throughout my very neutral house.

Well I am embarrassed to admit I am normally not a lover of blues….however the first 3 pictures on this post have me swooning….Thank you for these examples because I’ve learned you can still have beauty without clobbering the space with a color.

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Hi, I'm Kate from Northern California. I'm a bargain hunter, design lover, and incurable DIYer. I'm on a quest for diamond style on a dime, and I'm out to make my world fabulous, for less, one do-it-yourself project at a time. Learn more.